title: Gender identity in informal care: impact on health in Spanish caregivers.
abstract: We examined the influence of gender identity on men's and women's perceptions of assuming the caregiver role to identify different coping strategies and the effects on caregiver health and quality of life. The study, performed in Andalusia, Spain, was based on a sociological analysis of the narratives produced during semistructured interviews with primary informal caregivers (16 men and 16 women) of different profiles. We observed a cultural assumption that women should assume the caregiver role and found that women shouldered the bulk of caregiving responsibilities and did not usually seek support. This might explain the high prevalence of chronic health disorders, stress, anxiety, depression, neglect of health, and social isolation we observed among women caregivers. Because the caregiver role was not socially imposed on men in our setting, men caregivers adopted a flexible attitude and tended to seek external support before their health and quality of life were seriously affected.
authors.affiliation: 1Andalusian School of Public Health, Granada, Spain.
authors.forename: María
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: del Río-Lozano
authors.forename: María del Mar
authors.initials: Mdel M
authors.lastname: García-Calvente
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Marcos-Marcos
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Entrena-Durán
authors.forename: Gracia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Maroto-Navarro
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005260:Female; D005783:Gender Identity; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D036301:Qualitative Research; D011788:Quality of Life; D013030:Spain; D013240:Stereotyping
keywords: caregivers / caregiving; gender; health and well-being; interviews, semistructured; quality of life